Washing-machine.



N0. 629,024. Patented July I8, i899.

D. C. BARNARD.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 24, 1897;)

(No Model.)

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@l l J WTNESSES t ww. IC 15 Norms PETERS co., PHOTO-nwo.. WASHINGTON D CFl t DAVID O. BARNARD, O'F BINGHAMTON, NEV YORK.

WASHlNGwh/IACHINE.

SPECIFCATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 629,024, dated July 18,1899.

Application filed November 24, 1897.- SerialNo. 659,658. (No model.)

To ctZZ w/wm; t mln/y concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID C. BARNARD, residing at Binghamton, in thecounty of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in lVashing-Wlachines, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to washing-machines.

The object of the invention is to produce a compact and simplewashing-'machine of the class known as reciprocating-rubberwashing-machines; and the invention consists in certain constructions ofparts and combinations of elements, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of the machine, the legsbeing broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the roller-bed. Fig. 3is a side elevation thereof. Fig. t is a side elevation of the rubberand soaper with handles attached. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the rubberand soaper. Fig. 6 is a broken detail of the box and handle.

The box A, preferably of wood, is a rectangular box, in general likethat shown iu Patent No. 371,730, granted October 18, 1887, to myselfand another, to which patent reference is made and on which thisinvention is an improvement.

The notch B in box A affords a restingplace for the bar D when themachine is folded and cover applied. The notch C, however, does not gothrough the side of the box, but is simply a recess therein, and ltheend of handle E extends into this notch or recess when the machine isstowed for transportation or for the application of the cover.

The roller-bed 1-1 has two wooden side pieces 1 1 in form of wedges .orinclined planes. These side pieces are connected by wooden cross-bars KK', thus forming a trough or bottomless box for a dirt-receptaclebetween the side pieces and cross-bars of the wooden roller-bed. Theroller-bed is of such width as to neatly fit the box and is held againstendwise movement by stops A/ A2 at the bottom of the box and at thecorners of the rollerbed when in working position, as shown in rests onthe bottom thereof, so that the dirt'- receptacle between the sides andcross-bars has itsbottom formed by the bottom of box A. The roller-bedmay be removed from the position shown in Fig. 1 for transportation orstowage by simply lifting out of the stops and moving to either end ofbox A.

On top of the side bars 1 of the roller-bed I arrange metallic bracketsL L, which brackets have short legs secured to the side pieces I, andthe body of these brackets extends parallel with the top of the sidepieces. These metallic brackets are thin, and the rollers O, journaledin said brackets, may extend almost to the side of box A, the ends ofthe rollers being above the bars I 1.

O O indicate fluted rolls, preferably of wood and having metallic axesor journals extending'into holes in the brackets L. These roll` ers thusform a bed, the rolls ofthe bed being out of contact with each other andfree to turn and the top of the bed being inclined, as shown. Thisroller-bed forms the surface on which the clothes are washed; but as therolls rotate freely there is little rubbing of the clothes in the senseordinarily known as rubbingx7 The rubber S has its rubbing-surfacecomposed of fluted bars T T, extending transversely of the machine. Therubber S is supported on bars P P, which extend lengthwise of themachine, the width of the rubber and bars being such as to permit theinclosure within the box save where the cross-bar D, connected to barsP, projects at the side of the box, and is connected by the usual pitmenF to the usual springs G, which springs are arranged below the box A.The rubber S is suspended from bars P P by rigid side pieces Q, whichside pieces are about as wide as the rubber, the bars T T being rigidlyattached to the lower ends of these pieces Q; The bars T are iluted orcorrugated lengthwise, as shown,l and their outer surfaces thus verynearly correspond with the spaces between the upper surfaces of therolls in the rollerbed. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, one of the liuted barsof the rubber may enter or project between two of the fluted rolls ofthe rollerbed, and one of the tluted rolls of the rollerbed may enter orproject between two of the iiuted bars of the rubber when the rubber isIOO brought into closest relation with-the rollerbed. When the rubber,with clothing thereunder, is reciprocated, the clothing bearing lightlyon the rollers of the roller-bed will cause them to rotate, thus causinga light beating action on the clothing.

The bars T are far enough apart to leave passages between them. Thesides of the side pieces Q are connected by strips U U, which, with thefluted bars and side pieces Q, form a box with a slotted bottom. To thisbox a hinged cover V is applied, which cover may be held open or closedby suitable fastenin gs. This box thus forms a receptacle for soap, andthe soap may pass through the slits in its bottom directly to theclothes. The soap-box will generallyv bc above the level of the water inthe wash-box. Vhen a dirty place is seen in the clothes, the rubber andsoap-box may be quickly moved to one end of the wash-boxand dipped intothe water. The covered soapbox will receive some water, or the cover maybe left loose, so that the soap-box will fill with water. Then when therubber is carried back over the roller-bed the Water in the soap-boxwill flow down through the slots between the bars and will carry some ofthe soap with it, and if the cover of the soap-box fits pretty closelythis escape of the water will be quite gradual; but the soap-box is notleft all the time in the water, as in some other machines, as in suchcaso the soap would much sooner dissolve.

The capacity for dipping the soap-box into the water and carrying itback on top of the 1 clothing on the rub-board enables me to apply bothsoap and water where the same may be most needed, and I do not depend,as in most other machines of this character, on a water-supply entirelyfrom below the clothing. The roller-bed and rub-board should be lessthan on e-third the length of the box and may be much less than that.The box in washing should be filled with water about up to the lowerroller of the roller-bcd. The clothing to be washed may be placedineither end of the machine, and by entering an end or corner of a pieceor pieces between the rollerbed and rubberand moving the rubber lightlyback and forth the garment or cloth will be soused in the water and thedirt loosened. By slightly raising the handle the rubber can be movedover so as to bear on a new portion of the clothing, and the garment maybe fed back and forth across the rub-board and rubbed along the surfacethereof until the dirt is entirely removed, a little experience enablingthe operator to move the pieces and to do the most rubbing on dirtyspots without touching the clothes with the hands.

When it is desirable to apply-more soap to the garments or to apply itto a particular part, the rubber is swung away from the roller-bed,(toward the right in Fig. 1,) and by lowering the handle the soap-box isdipped in the waterat the end of the roller-bed. (See dotted lines, Fig.1.) The rubber takes up water through its slotted bottom, and this watertakes with it a quantity of soap down onto the clothing, when the rubberis restored to working position on the roller-bed.

The fluted roller and bars together give a better hold on the clothingthan either plain rolls or bars, and as the pressure of the bars androlls is thus exerted in longitudinal lines at short distances from eachother the device is very effective for the removal of dirt from soiledclothing.

The facility for applying soap without touching the soap by hand bydipping the rubber and soaper into the water at the end of theroller-bed adds greatly to the capacity and convenience of the machine.

Vhat I claim isl. The washing-machine having a rollerbed, areciprocating rubber provided with a slotted bottom and a soap-box abovesaid bottom, and a handle connection by which the rubber and soap-boxmay be lowered into the water at the end of the roller-bed, the wasl1-box extending beyond the end of the rollerbed sufficiently to permit theimmersion of the soap-box in the water at the end of the roller-bed,substantially as described.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination of the roller-bed arranged onan incline and having luted rolls, and the rubber having fluted barsarranged at the same distance apart as the rolls of the bed, so that abar of the rubber may partially enter between two bod-rolls, and a rollof the bed partially enter between two,bars of the rubber, all combinedsubstantially as described.

3. In a washing-machine, the combination of the fiuted roller-bed, theIiuted rubber with slots between the bars, and the covered soapbox abovesaid Iluted rubber, means provided for immersing the soap-box in thewater at the end of the roller-bed, substantially as described.

4. The roller-bed composed of wedge-shaped wooden side pieces, themetallic brackets above said side pieces, and the iiuted rollers havingtheir journals in said brackets and their ends above the said pieces,combined with the box and rubber.

5. The box having side notches Band side recesses O, combined with therubber, the bars P supporting said rubber, and the crossbar D of alength to extend through notches B, and the cross-bar E of a length tolie in recesses Cfor storage, and below the top level of the box,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID C. BARNARD.

Witnesses z W. A. BARTLETT, THOMAS J. STALEY.

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